HSS 6.1.1

Cover of Ka’m-t’em © Kishan Lara Cooper

Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing: Letter to a Young Native

HSS 6.1.1, HSS 6.1.3, WHST.6-8.7, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-5

This lesson utilizes “ Letter to a Young Native: Sovereignty is Action,” by Shaunna McCovey from Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing, edited by Kishan Lara-Cooper and Walt Lara. As a Yurok and Karuk person from northwestern California with a background in Environmental law, Native American law, and Social Work, McCovey explains sovereignty from both an Indigenous and federal government perspective. Highlighted in this lesson, McCovey emphasizes how we as human beings must come together to protect the natural environment. This lesson introduces Indigenous perspectives and relationships to the natural environment, human impacts on the natural environment, and methods to minimize the human impact on the environment both personally and as a class community. Included in this lesson, you will engage in read-a-loud and reflection of excerpts from McCovey’s chapter, a vocabulary lesson, conduct interviews, and make a plan to reduce your personal impact on the environment. The teacher will create an environment that nurtures spaces for multiple perspectives, respect, and engagement to help students to connect to the topic. The teacher will actively engage in discussions that promote positive changes of human impacts on the environment.

Cover of Ka’m-t’em © Kishan Lara Cooper

Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing: Songs of “Those Within”

HSS 6.1.1, HSS 6.1.3, RI.6.1, RI.6.6, W.6.1, MS-ESS3-3

This unit utilizes an excerpt of Ch. 14 Songs of “Those Within” and a poem entitled, Visitor in the Forest, both written by Callie Lara. The readings introduce an Indigenous perspective of relationship and responsibility to the natural environment including the river, forest, animals, etc. Through her poetry and story-telling, the author helps students to visualize landscapes such as ravines, rivers, vegetation, animals, prairies, and aromas. Further, the author reminds students that humans are but one component of the natural environment. Therefore, awareness of human impact and responsibility to the natural environment is integral to its preservation. This lesson addresses science, history, reading and writing state standards and encourages students to build awareness and promote change through their writing. The teacher must nurture spaces for multiple perspectives, respect, and engagement. The teacher must be prepared to actively engage in discussions that promote positive changes of human impacts on the environment.

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